Return to Konoha
by jan-rowan
Summary: The title says it all folks! Sasuke finally decides to return to Konoha after years. The village suspects his intentions but his friends stand by him. On top of it all the jounin exam is close by. How much has Sasuke changed? A SasuSaku fic
1. Rumors

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters…. Damnit…

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How long has it been? At least a couple of years. Sasuke Uchiha left three years ago to pursue power and strength, so he went to Orochimaru. A cruel man with intent to destroy Leaf. To Sasuke, his only goal was to kill Itachi Uchiha, the one who had wiped out his entire family except for himself.

Naruto Uzumaki grew immensely under Jiraiya's tutelage. Sakura Haruno's strength not only grew but equaled with Naruto and Sasuke's, thanks to Tsunade's instruction. Team Seven's members now trained under the Legendary Three. Rumors flew that those three young chuunin were destined to become the next three legendary sennin. Indeed their abilities grew everyday.

Team Seven's former members were now all at the age of 18. Old enough to be wise yet still young enough for recklessness.

This tale begins with our heroes reuniting… with the return of Uchiha Sasuke to Konoha village of the Hidden Leaf.

---

Sakura Haruno yawned as she awoke with the calming sound of raindrops. She groggily got out of her cozy futon bed and headed to the washroom. The sleepy chuunin changed into her ninja medic uniform, similar to Tsunade-sama's outfit only her signature red and green colors. She brushed her hair (which she kept almost boyishly short, it was just more practical that way) and went down to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast.

The rain became stronger as she cooked her omelet. It was her first year living alone away from her parents, but she liked the independence. Tsunade had taught her to be independent and strong, Sakura admired her sensei immensely.

Once she was satisfyingly full, the konoichi began cleaning up when she heard a knock on her door. Sakura opened the door to find Naruto's friendly face smiling at her.

"Good morning Sakura-chan!" He greeted.

She smiled back at him, "Naruto-kun! Good morning, this is a surprise. What's up?"

"Pervert sennin Jiraiya and that old hag Tsunade wanna talk to us about something. They said it was urgent, so they made me into a messenger boy…" He muttered irritably at the last bit, trailing off about wanting B and A rank missions.

Sakura frowned, "That's strange, Tsunade told me to take today off. She hasn't changed her mind has she? I haven't had a break in awhile!"

Naruto laughed, "Yeah I've been slaving away lately too! But no worries, I think its something else! Maybe they're gonna treat us to some ramen!" He joked.

Sakura just rolled her eyes and went with him to see the 5th Hokage and Jiraiya. They walked in the rain silently, neither of them bothered by being wet.

It suddenly occurred to her, could it have anything to do with Sasuke?

They arrived. Even Kakashi and Iruka-sensei were in the room, this had to be something big.

Tsunade-sama was the first to speak up. "Sakura-san, Naruto-san… I'm going to get straight to the point. We have recently heard word of Orochimaru's activity. After three years of keeping a low profile… we now know of his current status…"

"Is he going to attack Konoha again?" Naruto growled angrily, thinking back to his past encounters with that man.

Sakura bit her lip, unsure if she should speak her mind. Tsunade gave her one of her looks and so the young chuunin asked, "…Isn't… isn't Sasuke-kun with him?"

"Actually…" Jiraiya began, looking straight at Sakura. "Orochimaru is dead… by Sasuke's hand."

"What?" Sakura and Naruto yelled out in unison.

"Sasuke-san… word is that he's coming back to Konoha. But not as a missing-nin, as a citizen of this village…" Tsunade continued.

"We're unsure about his intentions… after three years with Orochimaru… he may have changed." Iruka added.

"But he's coming back isn't he? That's wonderful! He killed off one of our biggest threats!" Sakura smiled.

Naruto grinned, "Sakura's right! Sasuke is coming back! So what if he spent a few years with that bastard? Maybe he missed us so much that he's repenting now!"

"…Its not that simple." Kakashi told them, wiping off their excited smiles, "He betrayed the village and he killed one of the legendary three, which means his strength must have surpassed that of Orochimaru. As much as I hate to say this, he could potentially be an enemy to this village."

True that Sakura's parting with Sasuke was anything but terribly romantic but her feelings for him had never changed. She had become a strong independent young woman. Her efforts were to impress him at first, but now she was happy to see her own improvement. Yet still, it seemed that everything she did began in the hopes of impressing the one she loves. The same reason she grew her hair long years ago, because of a rumor that the Uchiha genius liked girls that way.

Cutting her hair was a symbol of freedom, to be free of conformity. Sakura Haruno once vowed to be herself and grow strong. She wanted Sasuke's affection only if he would love her for the way she is.

But things change, and now that he was coming back she didn't know what to do. The village seemed to be suspicious of his loyalty and was untrusting of his intentions.

"Sensei…" Sakura walked toward the Hokage. "I have a request to ask of you."

"Ask away Sakura-san." Tsunade gave her a small smile, knowing of the girl's feeling toward the missing-nin.

Sakura made sure to speak eloquently, to demonstrate her seriousness of the matter. "Naruto and I may share a blind faith toward Sasuke-kun but that's because we used to be those closest to him. We knew his strengths and fears. So please give Sasuke-kun a chance. As insurance Naruto and I will keep close watch on him until he has gained your trust back. If he tries anything we'll inform one of you immediately."

Jiraiya smirked, "She has a point."

Tsunade sighed, "It seems I don't have much choice. Knowing your Sakura-san, you'll probably run away with that dashing Uchiha first chance you get, and I don't want my most promising pupil to run away before completing her training. You're just lucky I'm in a somewhat good mood today."

Naruto smiled, "Thanks old hag! You're cool dude!"

"I would NOT run away with him!" Sakura protested indignantly.

The Hokage rolled her eyes, no matter how much older they got they still had the same mannerisms.

OK so end of chapter 1! I'm planning on Sasuke's appearance next chapter to come, its going to be quite a treat! But I'm not telling under what circumstances he appears!

I wanted to keep the characters as in character as possible, so I hope I did a good job in that area. I began this fic because I was unsatisfied with the small amount of SasuSaku fics out there! The few I found weren't realistic to my taste, so I opted to write my own.

By the way reviewing and sending me constructive crits make me happy and usually help me update sooner than later,


	2. Rain poured down that day

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto…. Bla bla no need to rub it in! … 

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It was no use! Sakura Haruno couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard she tried. She was too excited, just imagining Sasuke's face was enough to make her smile. However, her smile always faded when she remembered the words he left her with, "Thank you."

What was that Uchiha thinking? Why does he come back after all of this time? He left even after Sakura tried to stop him and even when Naruto fought all out to bring him back. Maybe all these questions would soon be answered, or perhaps not.

Naruto couldn't sleep either; all he could remember of Sasuke was that battle in which they fought each other. Something didn't feel quite right, rumors like this take some time to travel back all the way to Konoha. Shouldn't Sasuke have made it back by now? Was something stopping him from coming back?

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Nearly a week passed and no sign of Sasuke. It was a Saturday morning; the weather hadn't changed much either. Rain poured down. Instead of the gentle raindrops, now drops splashed onto the ground causing drum-like sounds.

Sakura sat on a bench, the same one Sasuke placed her in after their last encounter. Her clothes were soaked, but she didn't seem to care.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto mumbled, walking up to Sakura holding an umbrella, which he placed over her soaked head.

She didn't look up at him, on the contrary she continued staring off into space.

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan." He continued, his voice gentle.

Sakura shrugged, "For what?"

"For not bringing Sasuke back like I promised you."

"Silly, I'm not worried about THAT. I just have a lot of work to do so I decided to take a break!" She shrugged him off again with a smile unmatched to her worried eyes.

"Take a break? In the rain?"

"It relaxes me!" She protested grumpily.

"Yeah ok whatever Sakura-chan…" Naruto rolled his eyes.

After a moment of silence the young ninja medic stood up away and walked into the rain. "Why isn't he here yet?" She asked quietly after another pause.

"He'll be here." He smiled to her and left her to her own thoughts.

Another week passed and still no sign of Sasuke Uchiha. The weather seemed to accompany Sakura's mood of waiting. Three years seemed so short compared to these past few days to Sakura.

It poured again the following Saturday, Sakura sitting on her bench waiting for Sasuke. It was getting darker. At one point she was sure most konoichi were sleeping. Soon she began to doze off, the exhaustion of waiting was finally catching up to her.

Just when she was about to close her eyes she heard a familiar voice.

"Right where I left you."

She knew that voice… though it changed somewhat, it was deeper now. Sakura's eyes opened to see Sasuke standing in front of her with a small smile. The smile didn't suit his new appearance; longish hair covering some of his face, sharingan eyes and a long cloak. Previously a beautiful boy now a handsome young man.

"S-Sasuke…" Unsure if she was imagining him, she pulled on both of his cheeks to make sure. His sharingan eyes instantly turned to normal and he gave her a sweat drop look.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelped happily, hugging her dear old friend. He patted her awkwardly on her head. The young Uchiha had grown taller than Sakura, now almost a head taller than her but barely taller than Naruto. "You're soaked! You must be tired AND hungry. Come on Sasuke-kun, you can stay at my place! You can see the others tomorrow."

Once she pulled away he shook his head, "You're still annoying." He smirked, but she noticed his smile didn't have its previous warmth. He wanted to hug his friend but didn't. His recent experiences had taught him to stay away from affection and too much unnecessary physical contact. This is what he came back for, things that truly mattered. Friendship and affection, the things Sakura offered him at this moment. Maybe a few weeks with his old friends would help him go back into his old self.

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A shorter chapter this time! Next chapter gets more to the juicy bits, No guarantees though, but feel free to bribe me with reviews. I gotta soft spot for reviews… the buggers can change my mood any time.

Note: If I make any mistakes regarding info, please let me know I like to keep things accurate and realistic.

By the way, a big thank you to my reviewers; fullmetalwhorething and Niebezpiczny Ksiezyc (I wish I had a cool name like that . ;;)


	3. Team Seven reunion

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or ramen…. Though a bowl of that stuff isha soundin' mighty good right about now!

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Sakura's heartbeat sped up every time Sasuke would glance over to her with his expressionless face.

Damn it, she also wished she could have an expressionless face but like Tsunade she was a horrible poker player and couldn't bluff very well. The ninja medic blushed hotly, even in the cool autumn rain. At that moment if she had one wish it would be to know what that Uchiha is thinking.

It had been so long since they've seen each other and instead of anything else, things just seemed to go back to normal. Sakura felt as if his return to Konoha brought back a sense of normality. Almost as if he'd never left.

---

Before he went in the bathroom to bathe, Sakura shoved dry clothes in Sasuke's arms as well as all the necessary toiletries. He rolled his eyes and accepted it gratefully, with a simple nod of acknowledgement.

Sakura changed into some dry clothes herself. As she heated up some food for him she noticed how long he was taking. Dawn would break soon.

Sasuke then came out of the bathroom wearing a yukata summer kimono worn by both men and women and his hair was shorter.

"You cut your hair!" Sakura exclaimed, a bit surprised.

"I was starting to look like Itachi…" He responded a bit coldly.

She fell silent, not knowing what to say. "Umm, I heated up some miso soup for you… I can make something else if you want."

"No." Sasuke looked up at her and his expression softened, "No…. thank you. Just the soup is fine…"

Nodding, Sakura handed him a bowl of hot soup. He sipped it quietly, staring out the window at Konoha village. She watched him for a moment before moving towards her linen closet, "I only have one room, and so we'll have to share it. But I have a nice futon you can sleep on." With that she laid out the bedding in the bedroom as he finished eating.

He soon came into the bedroom, "Sakura… thank you."

"Don't be silly! We're old friends!" She smiled.

He just responded with a small smile.

---

Sasuke awoke to notice Sakura gone from her bed. They had slept in the same room, with no other intentions of course. Though he had thought of his friends a lot and he did miss their presence, he wasn't sure why he came back after abandoning his village.

He changed into his spare set of clothes before leaving the room and going into the kitchen/dining room/living room. Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura greeted him. So that presence he had sensed earlier was Kakashi's.

"Sasuke!" Naruto put his arm around Sasuke's neck and messed up his hair, "You missed me didn't ya? Admit it!"

Sasuke squirmed under Naruto's grasp, he had grown quite strong, "Let me go dead last!"

"Not until you admit you missed me!" The fox boy laughed in triumph.

Finally Sasuke managed to break free and instead caught Naruto in a grasp, "Never!"

"You two haven't changed…" Kakashi muttered, taking out his latest copy of Come Come Paradise. He pretended not to notice the fact Team Seven seemed to have go back in time. Sakura complaining about Naruto hogging Sasuke, Naruto joking around and Sasuke acting the part of the cool aloof genius ninja. Kakashi smiled to himself, maybe Sasuke hasn't changed. Or maybe coming back to Konoha simply brought out the old Sasuke.

Pretty soon the former Team Seven was walking around on the outskirts of Konoha, as Sasuke seemed to refuse to go into the village in broad daylight. Kakashi took this as a good sign, it meant that Sasuke felt guilty over abandoning the village and his shame stopped him from wanting to face the citizens in fear of their resentment towards him.

Sakura and Naruto held no grudge towards him, their friendship overcame that. Sasuke left believing he had to go after Orochimaru to get what he wanted. But after all this time he still wasn't sure if Itachi's life was what he wanted or needed.

Neither Kakashi, Sakura or Naruto questioned him about his motives or about Orochimaru's death. Today was a day to help their friend feel at home to try to prove the point they tried making for so long, that Sasuke was a member of the Leaf and he was wanted there.

---

No interrogations yet! And no, nothing happened between Sasuke and Sakura. Except she might have just watched him sleep for awhile…. Then again who can blame her?

Thank ye to my reviewers, here have a cookie:)

Maiden of the Dark Light: clever lassie, we seem to think alike!

Sindy: quite right darling, I do involve Naruto a lot. I think he plays an important role in Sasuke and Sakura's life. Besides he's fun to write about, I love that fox kid.


	4. Tsunade's decision and Sake

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its contents, though I do have hat similar to the one Naruto sleeps in.

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A week passed before Kakashi told Sasuke he had to go see Tsunade-sama. Apparently she had left Sasuke alone for a while to settle in, hearing daily reports from both Kakashi and Naruto. Sakura was always with Sasuke and refused to go see Tsunade for over the past week.

However, the time had now come to face the Hokage and perhaps receive answers to many questions.

---

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were kneeling down in front of Tsunade and Konoha council members. Iruka, Kakashi and Jiraiya were among them.

Tsunade took a deep breath and weaved her fingers together before speaking, "Sasuke-san, although I'm happy for your return, the village is concerned. We cannot fully return your citizenship of Konoha back to you without a thorough investigation of you and your time spent with Orochimaru in Hidden Sound village."

Sasuke remained silent looking down at the tatami mat floor. Sakura looked over at him with a worried look, Naruto didn't move but did notice his former teammate's angered expression.

"Furthermore," Tsunade continued with her unusually formal speech, "You will remain under Sakura's constant surveillance as she is the only one available to offer you temporary housing. Kakashi-san and Naruto-san will also remain in your company investigating your case. I will make this clear; I am being extremely lenient in letting you confide in your friends instead of an interrogation. They will as may have guessed report to me regularly on your status."

Sakura widened her eyes at Hokage's decision, "Are you asking us to spy on our friend?"

"No Sakura, I am telling you. This is a direct order from your Hokage. Believe me it is only for the good of Konoha." Tsunade explained.

"I can't follow through with that order Hokage, I apologize." Sakura bowed, placing the palms of her hands on the tatami mat.

Sasuke stared at the pink-haired girl, moved by her actions.

"Neither can I!" Naruto stated, not occurring to him that he should bow also.

Tsunade massaged her temples impatiently; "You don't have a choice in the matter. The council has the power to strip you of your chuunin title or not allow you to take the jounin exam if you fail to comply. I'm sorry Sakura, its out of my hands, the village demands an investigation. Sasuke may be rejected from our village even if we grant him back his citizenship."

"I-I understand… I beg your pardon Tsunade-sama." Sakura gently answered, sitting back upright.

Naruto also apologized. Sasuke continued his silence, though now with that small smile of his.

Tsunade smiled and looked over at Sasuke with her business expression. "Finalizing… do you agree to these terms Sasuke-san?"

Sasuke took a moment to respond, he turned to Sakura who gave him an encouraging smile. "I agree."

---

Word soon spread of Sasuke's return. Some were suspicious but were calmed when they learned of Hokage's decision. Others, like Ino, Shikamaru, Kiba, Rock Lee and others were happy to hear of his return.

In fact, a day after their meeting with Tsunade Sakura and Sasuke received a visit from Ino, Shikamaru, Kiba, Rock Lee, Hinata, Tenten and even Neji! They brought sake bottles to celebrate his return.

Naruto soon popped up and they all drank up in Sakura's small house. It was yet another night of nostalgia and talk of the old days. To Sasuke's surprise he saw Ino and Shikamaru holding hands, according to Sakura they've been together for over a year now. Ino had to make the first move after finding out through others (Sakura) of his feelings. They seemed to be really happy, Sakura felt a bit jealous of them.

A few hours later and everyone began to leave, most of them fairly drunk. Except Lee, who had sworn off the drink due to interesting side effects. Naruto was the last to leave, but was so drunk that Hinata had to help him walk back to his apartment.

Sakura closed the door, after waving good-bye to Hinata and a drunk Naruto who happened to be babbling something about a bunny stealing his ramen. She smiled as she looked back at Sasuke, who poured himself another drink.

"When do you think Naruto is going to notice Hinata's feelings for him?" She asked him.

"Maybe he already notices…" Sasuke replied quietly, taking in another shot of sake.

Sakura frowned, her feelings for Sasuke were still strong but she had lost hope long ago. But now with his return, she didn't know what to do. "You should stop drinking Sasuke-kun, you're going to get a hangover tomorrow if you keep up that pace."

"I can handle it." He muttered, pouring more sake into his cup.

"Sasuke-kun, come on! You've already had too much." Sakura reached out and tried to take his sake cup away from him. She was unsuccessful and was instead pushed aside. Once more she advanced but this time he violently pushed her away, this time she landed on the nearby wall with a thud.

Thanks to all her endurance training it could have been worse but because of his special training it did have quite a painful impact on her but psychologically. Silent tears streamed down her eyes but at least Sasuke had stopped drinking. She sat on the floor and hugged her knees, barely making a sound.

He got up from his seat and picked her up silently. "I'm sorry Sakura." She put her arms around him as he took her to the bedroom. Sasuke set her down on her futon and although drunk, he still had full command of his senses just not his reasoning. He wiped away her tears with a tissue.

"You know…. The last time I cried was when you left, Sasuke-kun." Sakura mumbled, reaching out for his hand.

"I'm sorry I hurt you…" Was his reply, pure and simple. He was quite red in the face from the drink.

She clamped both of her gentle hand on his roughened one. "What are you running away from Sasuke-kun? Is that why you drink so much? I can tell this was not the first time you drank like this…"

"If I tell you anything, you'll just go and tell Tsunade-same." Sasuke said in a low cold tone, pulling his hand away from hers and turning around in the process.

Sakura sat up and hugged him from behind, "Not if you tell me not to. You're suffering Sasuke-kun, that's why you came back here isn't it?"

After a moment of silence Sasuke nodded and gently moved away from her, wanting to lie down on the bed. She laid down next to him, holding his hand affectionately. "Get some sleep Sasuke-kun, you can talk about it in the morning if you're ready."

"Good night Sakura…" He mumbled before dozing off into a drunken sleep.

---

Ok! So longer chapter this time since I took awhile to actually write this one! Thank you for everyone who reviewed! Here have some more cookies:) I really appreciate the reviews, I'm such a sucker for them!

By the way Sasuke didn't actually cause her any physical pain, just to make that clear. Its more the meaning of the gesture that made her cry. Oh and Sakura did some drinking too!

Next chapter is going to answer some questions, make some more and create more tension between Sasuke and Sakura.


	5. Confessions over Ramen

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto…. Come on people, do I seriously have to do this every time?

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When Sasuke awoke he had a splitting headache, the sign that once again he had drank too much. Once he left Hidden Sound he had been drinking at bars on the way back, sometimes staying days at a time. The drink made him forget his problems and his worries.

He knew his hands were stained with blood but didn't seem to be able to wash it off. Sakura never noticed Sasuke's new compulsion of constantly washing his hands. Perhaps Sasuke thought the drink was more efficient in washing off the bloodstains that only he could see.

The young prospective jounin looked around the room and noticed he was on Sakura's futon mattress, as her blanket was green with patterns of flowers while his was a plain blue. His futon was still properly made; this caused him to wonder what had happened the other night.

---

Sakura hummed quietly as she washed yesterday's dishes she had neglected. Today she wore a simple green tank top and long black skirt, for the first time in a few days her ninja head protector adorned her head. She also wore an apron, as she usually did when in the kitchen.

"What happened last night?" Sasuke asked, coming into the room still in yesterday's clothes.

Sakura turned around and smiled at him, "Good morning to you too Sasuke-kun."

He approached her slowly, looking at a bruise running down her back. She shivered when he touched it. "When did this happen?"

"This morning… it was stupid of me really. The floor was wet and I tripped backwards onto the wall. No big deal, I'll prepare an ointment to put on it later." Somehow her reply wasn't entirely convincing.

Sasuke traced the bruise with his fingertips before stepping away. "I did that to you, didn't I?"

She didn't answer, instead Sakura continued drying her dishes. "I prepared a bath for you, it should still be hot."

He nodded, "Sakura, do you know if my old apartment is available?"

"I-I'm not sure/" She turned around again and frowned, "You don't like staying here with me?"

Sasuke took a moment before answering, "Its not that…"

She stopped what she was doing and wiped her hands. Sakura went up to him and took his hand in hers, "You didn't mean to hurt me, I know you didn't. Tsunade-sama won't let you live by yourself. You heard the council, you're to be in my constant supervision."

"How can I be supervised by someone I can hurt?" Sasuke responded coldly, tearing his hand away from hers and heading towards the front door.

"S-Sasuke-kun... you can't leave!"

"Watch me."

"Don't underestimate your supervisor Sasuke-kun. Yesterday I was careless." Sakura then performed a jutsu similar to Shikamaru's shadow binding jutsu. Her hands made the seal to a special jutsu she had developed. It basically paralyzed her opponents' bodies until she released the seal.

"Impressive." Sasuke grinned, "Your chakra control is flawless like always."

"Thank you, I am Tsunade-sama's apprentice. Don't underestimate my strength, I'm not the weak and confused genin you left behind."

"No." Sasuke agreed, "You are the strong young woman I came back to."

She released the seal and took his arm smiling, "Go take a bath, breakfast will be ready when you come out."

---

Kakashi took Sasuke to Naruto's favorite ramen shop, where said chuunin waited patiently. Well, at least he waited after finishing a bowl of ramen.

"You moron, you were supposed to wait for us before eating!" Sasuke scolded Naruto, after smacking him.

"I got hungry waiting for your ass!" Naruto countered.

Kakashi ignored the two and smiled at the waiter, "Two Tonkotsu Ramen bowls please and pork guioza to start. Oh and please ignore these two idiots."

"Will do Kakashi-sensei!" The waiter chuckled.

Then the jounin sat in between the two youths to keep them from making a scene at the ramen shop. "Keep your cool during lunch you two."

"Aye sensei…" Mumbled Naruto.

"So Sasuke, how is Sakura treating you?" Kakashi asked, trying to be casual. The jounin was obviously concerned for his former student who had a weak spot for Sasuke Uchiha.

"Better than I deserve." He answered quietly.

Naruto looked over Kakashi to stare at his former companion. "Sasuke, we're all good friends right? I mean even after the situation in which we parted…"

Sasuke looked surprised and smiled, bowing his head, "Yes, Naruto I still consider you to be my closest friend."

Kakashi got up, "I'll be right back." The jounin knew that those two needed to talk about something.

"Sasuke, did you kill Orochimaru?" Naruto asked.

"No, but he is dead."

Seeing that Sasuke was now starting to open up, Naruto asked him another question, "How did he die?"

"Itachi killed him. I don't know why he came to Hidden Sound but I think it has something to do with me." Sasuke paused when the guioza arrived, they thanked the waiter. "Orochimaru wanted me to defend him when Itachi attacked. I refused; I wanted to kill Itachi on my own terms and not his. He said he would punish me if I refused, so Itachi killed him."

Naruto took a moment for this new information to sink in, "Itachi… defended you?"

"I think he thought he was depriving me of my sensei. He said he wanted me to become strong on my own." When Sasuke had finished, Kakashi returned and somehow managed to devour his guioza without revealing his face.

"How the hell do you do that?" Naruto sweat dropped, watching Kakashi chew food that he had no idea how it got in there.

"If I told you that I'd have to kill you." Kakashi grinned.

Sasuke then ate his own guioza.

"So… Sasuke, what do you think of Sakura?" Naruto grinned, pushing aside the information his former companion just gave him.

Sasuke almost choked on his guioza when he heard the question, "She's umm grown quite a bit, her jutsu is incredible."

Kakashi smirked.

"Is that it?" Naruto continued, an innocent look on his face, "She's pretty isn't she? I mean she's always been really cute but now… woooo." Kakashi tried to hold back a laugh as Sasuke turned red. He avoided answering by grabbing the jounin's green tea and downing it.

---

Sorry about the delay of this update, my internet was down. But to compensate I finished a couple of chapters which I will be adding in good time. Ok so like seriously though, I really enjoyed writing this chapter but I'm afraid I made Sasuke a bit too OOC. What do you think?


	6. Sakura's Jutsu and Naruto's Doubt

Disclaimer: Yo ho, yo ho! A pirate's life fer me! Errrr I mean I do not own Naruto and all that jazz…

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Somehow Sasuke managed to avoid Naruto's embarrassing questions for the entire meal. Kakashi seemed to be deeply amused at his two former students 'discussing' their other former companion. Hormones, ninjas seem to be affected by them worst in their late teens. Perhaps due to all the training, thought Kakashi.

Either way it was hard to tell what Sasuke was thinking. The boy never talked about his own feelings unless it was hatred for his brother.

Kakashi soon parted with the two young chuunin and headed off to see Tsunade-sama. The information he heard today would help give Sasuke a good name in Konoha. He wondered if either of the boys knew that he had heard their conversation. After all they were far from amateurs.

---

Sakura sat in the middle of Konoha training grounds, perfecting her latest jutsu creation. This jutsu unlocked that strength bottled up within all humans. Since she never did have great strength and stamina like Sasuke and Naruto, Sakura used her ninja medic skills to unlock hidden strength. This jutsu caused fatigue and exhaustion after use, so she swore to only use it in emergencies.

What she was unaware of was that her two former companions watched her from the sidelines.

Naruto had decided to show Sasuke just how hard Sakura had worked to increase her strength and skills to match theirs. "She's been training hard ever since you left." He paused to look over at Sasuke, "She keeps on saying how she doesn't want to fall behind us."

Sasuke smiled as he crossed his arms, watching Sakura unleash her jutsu seal.

The strength jutsu revealed her true strength. With this strength also came increased speed. Targets were spread throughout the training field; she smashed them all in a matter of seconds. To use the strength jutsu to its fullest, she used another jutsu to create more targets. This time it seemed like hundreds.

It took her perhaps 2 minutes max to smash these new targets. Naruto suddenly jumped up and cheered. "Nice one Sakura-chan!"

Sakura looked to her companions and smiled before collapsing. Her new strength jutsu still needed more tweaking, to last longer and drain less of her stamina.

Both boys came running to her side. Sasuke however, beat Naruto to it. He was soon at her side. "Looks like her jutsu drains too much of her energy. Lucky this was only practice."

Naruto nodded, "Come on Sasuke, we should take her to the hospital. That old hag will patch her right up!"

In response, Sasuke picked up Sakura and carried her to the hospital, which thankfully was close by.

True to his word, Tsunade-sama revived Sakura in no time. "You were practicing that jutsu again weren't you?"

Sakura nodded, still weakened from the side effects of her strength jutsu.

"Well at least you've improved it. I remember the first time you tried it without my supervision… You were out cold for two days. You were lucky to have Naruto-san and Sasuke-san with you this time." Tsunade smiled at her pupil, impressed with her improvement but worried for her recent recklessness.

The Hokage soon left the room, giving Sakura leave to go home.

"Thanks guys, for being there today. I thought I was ready to handle the jutsu, but I guess I still need more training." Sakura smiled gratefully to her friends.

"Hey no problem Sakura-chan! Besides your jutsu is really cool! Hey can you teach me how to use it?" Naruto asked eagerly.

Sakura grinned and shook her head in mock concern, "I don't think you could handle it!"

"Aww come on! I'm the future Hokage remember? I can handle anything!" Naruto crossed his arms proudly with a huge smile.

"Tell you what Naruto, when you have perfect chakra control… I'll teach you that jutsu!" Sakura gave him a superior look; fully knowing she was the only one in Team Seven with perfect chakra control.

Naruto pouted, "No fair…"

Sasuke chuckled; his friend's expression was just too funny. Sakura giggled and got out of bed. Unfortunately her jutsu's side effects were still upon her. She would have fallen if it weren't for Sasuke, who caught her in his arms. She looked up at him with flushed cheeks. Moments passed and he didn't seem to want to let her go. Naruto stared at them both and wondered if Sasuke did return Sakura's feelings. But just as that thought passed his mind Sasuke let her go and she seemed to be able to walk with no trouble.

"We should head back." Sasuke commented lightly, leaving the room.

Naruto soon followed but not before taking another look at Sakura and her deeply reddened face.

---

Naruto left them reluctantly, he wasn't sure what was going on between those two. Sasuke avoided any questions directed at that particular subject. He did know however, that Sakura's feelings toward him hadn't changed. This whole thing puzzled him and he didn't know what to think or conclude. He shrugged it off and headed home after his training-less day, which was a relief from all the slave-driving Jiraiya put him through.

---

Sakura went to bathe to wash off all the fatigue and sweat from her training. Sasuke decided to try and cook tonight, although he had little experience in that area. 'How hard can it be?' he thought.

Sakura emerged from the bathroom sniffing the air; something was burning. Still in a bathrobe with dripping wet hair, she ran into the kitchen. The scene unfolded in front of her; Sasuke desperately trying to put out the fire that had emerged from a pan, he ran past her grabbing the fire extinguisher and spraying it frantically on the stove.

If it were anyone else she would be furious for the abuse on her kitchen but Sasuke made the situation quite humorous. The serious, always aloof Sasuke was panicking because the food he was making caught fire. Sakura suddenly burst out laughing. "Sasuke relax! Continue like that and you'll destroy my house!"

He stopped suddenly and flushed out of embarrassment. "I'm sorry Sakura, I wanted to you know, to pull my own weight around here."

"Don't worry I'll give you plenty of chores. But do me a favor and steer clear of my kitchen?" She begged.

Sasuke smiled, "Deal." He looked around the kitchen, "So how about I treat you to dinner at a restaurant? To compensate for the mess I mean…" He added.

She smiled and nodded happily, "Ok! Just give me some time to get ready!"

'What am I getting myself into?' Sasuke thought to himself, as he watched her go back into the bathroom.

---

Ok so this chapter wasn't that juicy… but I had to delay the good stuff people. The more you wait the better it will be!

Anyway I really love my reviewers! You all deserve big bear hugs and lotsa cookies! Thank you for your support!

Desiderada: Wheee! That's what I was aiming for!


	7. The Almost Kiss and the Jounin Exam

Disclaimer: The usual, Naruto does not belong to me.

---

After all this time, Sasuke seemed to not have changed at all. Truly it was as if he'd never left. Sakura wondered why he came back, it brought her joy but also doubt. Was Sasuke in trouble for something, is that why he came back?

Kakashi and Tsunade discussed the matter and concluded that Sasuke was no more than Orochimaru's victim. The village of Konoha buzzed about the Uchiha boy. He was the talk of the town these days. Even word of the Akatsuki had reached the ears of common Konoha citizens.

Soon word came from Hidden Sand, Kazekage Gaara was coming in a week's time for the jounin exam. Now all that was left was to choose those worthy of the ridiculously difficult exam.

---

"Thanks for dinner Sasuke-kun!" Sakura smiled at her friend. She wore a turquoise dress (Chinese style with slits on the sides), which complemented her eyes.

The two sat on a grassy hill looking up at the stars, thanks to Sakura's violent insistence. Indeed her behavior had become more and more alike to Tsunade-hime's. They had a quiet dinner at a nice sushi restaurant, both sharing a bottle of sake. But Sakura bullied Sasuke in having no more than two glasses.

Sasuke looked over at the happy Sakura with a sigh, she obviously thought this was a date. She hadn't changed much in certain aspects. "Don't worry about it."

"Sasuke-kun?" She began cautiously.

"What?" He looked down at her, wondering why she was looking away from him. Instead her gaze was to the starry sky.

Sakura looked down now, "Why did you come back to Konoha?"

"…" Sasuke thought for a moment, wondering if it was an answer she should know. "Konoha is my home."

"Then why did you leave?"

"It was something I had to do, I don't regret it." He also looked up at the stars, "I gained the strength I sought. Orochimaru just wanted my body. Thankfully by the time I learned what I needed, he was killed."

"How did Orochimaru die?" Sakura looked at him.

"Itachi…" From that simple name, Sasuke was able to tell Sakura all she needed to know on that matter. She was more intuitive than Naruto and didn't need explaining.

A cold realization came to Sakura; Akatsuki was active again and based on what Sasuke was saying… Hidden Sound has been wiped out. To what purpose? It puzzled her.

"Is that why you came back? Because you had no where else to go?" Sakura's eyes reflected her worry and deep contemplation.

"You ask more questions than Naruto…" Sasuke smirked. "But that's not why I came back. I could have gone anywhere else. I could have trained in all the shinobi countries, learning and copying all their precious hidden techniques."

"But you came back to Konoha…" Sakura muttered with a smile.

"I came back to Konoha." He repeated her words and to his surprise she weaved her slender fingers in his own strong ones.

She smiled up at him before resting her head on his shoulder, "You made the right decision."

For a moment he didn't know how to react. He had a sudden impulse to hold her close, kiss and make love to her. Sasuke, taken back by his own sudden desires, controlled himself. But with all the years he had spent in torturous training, he allowed himself one bit of repose. The Uchiha genius turned his head and sniffed in her scent. Her hair smelled of the flower she was named after.

"Sakura…" He breathed out unknowingly.

She looked up and saw him looking at her with a look unknown to her. "S-Sasuke-kun…" Sakura raised her hand to touch his cheek gently, her own cheeks burning.

Did their lips touch? They were certainly close enough. But something interrupted them from knowing if something had indeed happened.

Naruto's voice sounded in the background, he seemed to be in frenzy. Sasuke and Sakura created considerable space between them as Naruto approached them.

"Sakura-chan! Sasuke!" Naruto finally caught up to them, pausing to take in the scene in front of him, "Whoa, am I interrupting something?" He grinned.

Sakura threw him a murderous glare while Sasuke rolled his eyes, almost looking lost. But both of them had reddened cheeks.

"What the hell do you want Naruto?" Sasuke asked, more harshly than intended.

Naruto grinned, "Gaara of the sand is coming here! I just heard! The jounin exam will take place in a week's time. Our names were nominated, so it looks like we're taking the exam together."

"So the Sand is coming to help judge the contestants?" Sakura asked, standing up.

"Apparently. After all Temari and Kankurou are already jounin right?" Naruto grinned.

"It seems a bit early in the year for the jounin exam… I wonder what's up?" Sakura wondered.

Sasuke soon stood up also, "Perhaps it has something to do with Akatsuki."

Sakura and Naruto stared at him.

"Sasuke-kun, is there something we should know?" Sakura asked, looking up at him.

"Tomorrow I'm going to go see Tsunade-sama. For now we should head off to bed Sakura." Sasuke said, walking past Naruto. "See you tomorrow dead last."

"See you Uchiha bastard!" Naruto called after him with a grin.

Sakura sped up to catch up to her friend, "Thanks again for dinner."

"Don't mention it… especially since I nearly burned down your kitchen…" He muttered with a sweat drop.

---

Ooooh the jounin exam! Lots of action, drama, comedy and romance await you! Keep on reading folks: ) And try not to hurt Naruto too badly for interrupting them, he didn't know…

Thanks again to my reviewers! You all make me smile!


	8. At the festival

Disclaimer: we all know that I don't own Naruto…

---

The jounin exam; all those who take it face challenges they never thought possible. Similar to the chuunin exam, there are three tests. To pass the exam the candidate must pass all three tests.

These tests change every year preventing older shinobi from giving advice to younger shinobi.

Tsunade-sama still wondered whether the exam should take place at all, especially with the Akatsuki breathing down their necks. At the very least Sasuke Uchiha seemed to genuinely want to return to Konoha as a citizen.

---

Sakura had trouble falling asleep as she thought back to the moment she and Sasuke almost had. When that happened she would pause and take a moment to plan painful punishments for Naruto.

Sasuke also didn't sleep right away, he was thinking of the jounin exam. He avoided turning to see Sakura, he knew it would stimulate impulses he'd rather put aside. He knew she still cared for him but he also knew that he could easily put her in danger if he showed affection. Sasuke feared Itachi would harm her.

---

The following day, the chosen chuunin of Konoha village gathered in Hokage's office. It was a short announcement requesting those who wish to participate to register as soon as possible.

Sakura and Naruto practically tackled the shinobi in charge of registering. Sasuke sweat dropped and waited until his friends were done before registering himself. The shinobi looked at Sasuke, "Have you taken the chuunin exam?"

"Yes but not in this country." He replied coolly.

"I see," The older shinobi finished Sasuke's registration and handed him a slip of paper. "On the day of the exam present this to the examiner."

After the registration, the three friends walked around town. They noticed various stands being set up. It looked like the autumn fair finally arrived in Konoha.

"Sweet! The autumn festival is going to start soon! Man I've been craving those sweet potatoes they sell, I can't wait!" Naruto announced happily.

Sakura gave him a stern look, "You really need to rethink your diet Naruto, and shinobi can't thrive purely on starch and carbohydrates."

"Come on Sakura-chan don't be mean, this festival only comes once a year!" He protested. Naruto remembered the past year in which she had single handedly taken all the delicious autumn festival food away from him, claiming a shinobi should have a well-balanced diet.

Sasuke smirked, "She's got a point you moron."

"Hey not you too! You don't know how mean she's gotten! Ever since she learned her medical jutsu she's been nagging at everyone!" Naruto whined to Sasuke, practically begging him for some support, as he grabbed onto his sleeve.

"Get off! You're both still annoying…" Sasuke muttered with a smile he tried to conceal. He was obviously enjoying Naruto's carefree manner and Sakura's sister-like care for the blonde shinobi.

Sakura giggled and put her arm around Naruto as if to lecture him about something, he looked worried, "Tell you what Naruto, if you promise to balance out your diet… I'll let you eat anything you want during the festival!"

"YAY!" Naruto squeezed Sakura before running off into the still-in-progress fair to check to see if any food was available.

"Well that's convenient. A festival right before the jounin exam… at least we'll be able to relax a little." Sakura smiled, walking through the fair with Sasuke close behind her.

"We were on a mission during my last autumn festival. That seems like it was ages ago." Sasuke told her, remembering his past festival experiences.

"The festival is tomorrow, got anything to wear?" Sakura asked, examining Sasuke's clothing. She was already imagining a perfect outfit for him.

"…Sakura why are you looking at me like that?" He asked a bit nervously as she had a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"I'm going to take you shopping Sasuke-kun!" She declared locking her powerful palm around his wrist and dragging him to the nearest clothing store.

---

After a few painful hours of shopping Sasuke and Sakura headed home. Sakura insisted that he try on nearly everything in the store before she made a decision.

Soon afterwards they headed back home, Sasuke carrying bags of their purchases. Sakura had taken advantage of the situation to buy herself a new kimono, one which she refused to show to Sasuke.

Things went about normally for the next day until it came time for the festival. Instead of Naruto coming over as usual, Sakura and Sasuke went to his place this time. Naruto opened the door and grinned, he wore a yellow kimono with red face paint.

Sakura laughed, "You look like Kankurou with that face paint!"

"But better-looking!" Naruto insisted then looked at his friends; Sasuke with straightened hair in a blue kimono and Sakura with her hair pinned up, wearing a unique red kimono. "You look pretty Sakura-chan." He added with a smile.

"Thank you Naruto," Sakura then looked over at Sasuke expectantly, as if demanding a compliment.

"What he said…" Sasuke muttered uncomfortably. He did think Sakura looked exceptionally beautiful but wasn't willing to admit it.

Sakura sighed, "I suppose that's the closest to a compliment I'm getting from you tonight Sasuke-kun."

"Enough yapping! The delicious festival food calls to us!" Naruto grabbed his friends and dragged them in direction to the festival.

Team Seven arrived at the festival to find Kakashi with Maito Gai, apparently Gai wanted to break his tie to Kakashi, who looked mildly bored.

Not even five minutes into the festival passed when Naruto attacked the nearest food stand.

"When I said you could eat whatever you wanted I didn't say it was ok for you to go on a glutton rampage!" Sakura scolded a happy Naruto munching on a barbeque squid. "You're incorrigible!" She stated in her defeat.

Choji coincidentally was also munching on a barbeque squid as he came up to them, closely followed by Ino wearing a green kimono and Shikamaru.

The group walked around the fair, playing ridiculously difficult games (in a ninja village, there needs to be challenges in that area) and looking at the shops. Pretty soon they bumped into Neji and Hinata Hyuga, who blushed at the sight of Naruto.

"Hinata! Wow you look nice." Naruto complimented as he caught sight of her pale blue kimono.

"T-thank you Naruto-kun." She replied with a smile.

Neji nudged his cousin, hinting that she should go take a walk with him or something. She shook her head and stepped back next to Neji shyly.

Sakura sigh as she grabbed Naruto and pulled him away, "Are you a complete idiot? Go ask Hinata to go for a stroll in the moonlight or something!"

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked, clearly confused.

"Hinata-san likes you moron, don't ask me why but she does." Sasuke interjected, walking over to them.

Naruto looked from Sakura to Sasuke, "What are you implying…?"

Sakura took a deep breath and shoved him in Hinata's direction. Neji noticed Sakura and Sasuke's plan and did the same to Hinata.

The two bumped into each other, Hinata blushed and looked away from him. Naruto smiled at her awkwardly, "So Hinata-chan… wanna take a walk with me?"

All she did was nod, her hair grew quite a bit and it bounced off her shoulders. The pair soon went off towards the town park.

Neji turned to the two remaining Team Seven members and smiled, "I'm going to go find Rock Lee, he should be here with Kiba somewhere." He waved at them and went off purposefully leaving the two alone together.

---

Oh by the way, here is how our favorite trio is dressed for the festival! (I love this picture!):

http/img502.imageshack.us/img502/2160/narutonarutoteam02643um.png

Anyways sorry for the delay, I'm up to my ears in work! But! All those reviews helped me speed this process up! At the end of this fic I plan on writing personal thank yous to all of you! So keep reviewing since not only does it help my ego but it makes me like you!


	9. Hanabi

Disclaimer: Naruto, unfortunately isn't mine… otherwise I'd pounce the cutie! Meow!

---

The autumn festival was to celebrate the coming of the season and to execute superstitious customs. Also to enjoy the games and food offered as well as dress up in traditional kimono.

To those about to take the jounin exam it was a relief to be able to relax and enjoy the festival. To others, like Sasuke it was a chance to taste what he had been missing out on for what seemed like an eternity.

---

"Neji? Why are you…?" Sasuke was unable to finish his sentence as Neji had already left. He knew that shinobi planned on being matchmaker tonight but he also knew he had no choice when he turned to see Sakura's blushing face.

As she was highly intuitive, of course she also figured out what was going on. Not sure of what to do she looked over at Sasuke, "Let's go get something to eat Sasuke-kun."

After having a sweet potato, the pair went to the town shrine to pray for success in the jounin exam. The temple wasn't crowded but it was fuller than usual.

"You two on a date?" A voice came from behind them; it was Tsunade-sama with Jiraiya next to her. Both were smiling at the pair.

Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other, both lost for words. "No we're not." Sasuke finally said.

"Well you should be." Jiraiya grinned as he nudged Tsunade to give them some space.

A moment passed before either of them said anything. "That was awkward…" Sakura laughed a bit forcibly.

Sasuke smirked, "Indeed." He gestured for her to follow him as he walked into the vast garden near the temple. No one seemed to be there; usually it was crowded with couples.

"The fireworks should start soon, let's go find a place to sit down?" Sakura suggested.

In response, Sasuke looked back to her with an expressionless face and sat down on the nearest bench under some trees. It was on a hill giving a clear view of the moonlit sky. Sakura sat down next to him with a light blush on her face, this seemed like a perfect romantic opportunity.

"You know Sasuke-kun, maybe they were right…?" She began quietly, looking away to conceal her blushing face.

He turned to look at her, "Who?"

"Tsunade and Jiraiya-sama… just now, what they said…" She trailed off.

"Hmmm…" Sasuke crossed his arms and looked at the sky. After a moment of silence and Sakura's mild embarrassment at his reply, he finally spoke up, "Maybe they were."

She looked up at him in surprise, her blush deepening. He was looking directly at her with that expression he wore that night they almost kissed. Sasuke put all thoughts aside and just looked at the girl he had left behind, perhaps for the first time he actually looked at her.

"S-Sasuke-kun?" Came Sakura's meek voice, unsure of what he was implying. Then without warning his hands seized her shoulders and he pressed his lips to hers. Her eyes widened in surprise but as soon as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, they closed. Sasuke's arm wrapped itself around her waist as his other hand held onto hers tightly. At this point Sakura was doing quite a bit of guessing; on the other hand Sasuke seemed to know exactly what he was doing. Instincts? Or was he simply experienced? Sakura couldn't tell but decided not to think about it now; she just wanted this moment to last.

His tongue gently caressed hers, causing her to shiver at this new delight. Their kissing became less gentle and more intense. Sasuke's behavior transformed from gentle kisses and light touches to something more aggressive and desperate. Sakura pulled away from their kiss when she felt his grip on her tighten. She calmed him down by brushing her fingertips on his cheek. Why was he looking at her like that? Was it desire? He looked into her turquoise eyes and smiled, holding her in his arms now.

Sakura leaned up to very tenderly brush her lips against his, just to brush them away and kiss his cheek. Her hands moved up to his face before she kissed him again. Sasuke gained new confidence with her responses and deepened his kisses with her, wanting to taste this beautiful girl in his arms.

She let out a low moan, the sound ringing in his ear. As he felt the softness of her lips and tongue, an unwanted thought came to him. He had a flash… Itachi murdering Sakura in front of him. Itachi murdering Naruto and Kakashi as well as the others dear to him… Sasuke pulled away from Sakura. He placed his face into his hands muttering to her, "I can't do this… I'm sorry Sakura."

"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong? Did I do something wrong?" Her voice sounded worried, something mismatching with her flushed face and reddened lips.

"No you were… I'm sorry, I just need to be alone right now." He stood up and walked away from her, his hand on his forehead. Sasuke seemed to be deep in thought, leaving a confused and worried Sakura behind.

The moment Sakura had dreamed about had not gone the way she thought it would. It started out wonderfully, giving her new experiences and sensations but he left her there. She knew he had a reason but she also couldn't help but feel hurt by his actions. Sakura got up and decided to walk around before going home, it helped her clear her mind.

As she walked through the garden, the fireworks had started. She wished she could have seen them with Sasuke. Another couple was also in the garden, on a closer look Sakura saw it was Naruto and Hinata. She smiled, happy to know Naruto finally realized his own feelings for the Hyuga girl. Hinata was busy wiping off some of his face paint, giggling the whole time. When she was finished, Naruto suddenly kissed her, causing the girl's face to burn up. Sakura then continued walking, not wanting to disturb them. Inside she was cheering for the two even though she had her own doubts.

Sakura didn't stay to watch the end of the fireworks show, instead she headed home. Noticing Sasuke hadn't come home yet, she went straight to bed.

It was probably 3 am when Naruto walked Hinata home. He kissed her good night and went on his way to his little apartment. On the way he noticed a bar, which was usually occupied, by Jiraiya and Tsunade at this time but instead Sasuke sat alone at the bar. He went up to his friend and sat down by his side.

"I didn't think you were much of a drinker Sasuke." Naruto commented noticing a couple of small sake bottles in front of his former companion.

"Only during the hard times my friend…" He muttered.

"So I take it things with Sakura didn't go so well?" Naruto asked, realizing Sasuke wasn't drunk quite yet.

At this Sasuke put down his drink and shoved it aside, "I can't do it Naruto. I thought I could…"

"Dude, what's up with you? She really cares about you and I know you care about her. What's the freaking problem?"

"Itachi…." Sasuke muttered, "Itachi is the problem. He'd do anything to get to me, even kill off Konoha just to call my attention."

"Ahh I see…" Naruto thought for a moment, "Sakura can take us both on pretty easily you know. We're all fairly equal in jutsu. If you're scared of getting her hurt, don't be man. You chose a strong girl who can kick some serious ass. If you stick by her, I'm sure you two can take on any enemies."

Sasuke looked at Naruto, at a loss for words. He knew his friend was right.

"Come on Sasuke, you can crash at my place tonight. You don't want her to see you tipsy now do you?" Naruto asked with a grin.

"Piss off moron…" Sasuke grinned back, finishing his last drink before getting up.

---

I was going to introduce Gaara and co today but decided not to! Hehe just wait until Sakura and Sasuke mess with Naruto about Hinata…. That's gonna be fun to write!

Thank you again to my reviewers,


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